Synthesis of Lithium Phosphorus Oxynitride (LiPON) Thin Films by Li3PO4 Anodic Evaporation in Nitrogen Plasma of a Low-Pressure Arc Discharge

Thin amorphous films of LiPON solid electrolyte were prepared by anodic evaporation of lithium orthophosphate Li3PO4 in an arc discharge with a self-heating hollow cathode at a nitrogen pressure of 1 Pa. Distribution of the arc current between two electrodes having an anode potential provided independent control of the evaporation rate of Li3PO4 and the density of nitrogen plasma. Stabilization of the evaporation rate was achieved using a crucible with multi-aperture cover having floating potential. The existence of a threshold value of discharge current (40 A) has been established, which, upon reaching ionic conductivity over 10−8 S/cm, appears in the films. Probe diagnostics of discharge plasma were carried out. It has been shown that heating the films during deposition by plasma radiation to a temperature of 200 °C is not an impediment to achieving high ionic conductivity of the films. Dense uniform films of LiPON thickness 1 mm with ionic conductivity up to 1 × 10−6 S/cm at a deposition rate of 4 nm/min are obtained.

Modulation of the Mechanisms Driving Transthyretin Amyloidosis

Transthyretin (TTR) amyloidoses are systemic diseases associated with TTR aggregation and extracellular deposition in tissues as amyloid. The most frequent and severe forms of the disease are hereditary and associated with amino acid substitutions in the protein due to single point mutations in the TTR gene (ATTRv amyloidosis). However, the wild type TTR (TTR wt) has an intrinsic amyloidogenic potential that, in particular altered physiologic conditions and aging, leads to TTR aggregation in people over 80 years old being responsible for the non-hereditary ATTRwt amyloidosis. In normal physiologic conditions TTR wt occurs as a tetramer of identical subunits forming a central hydrophobic channel where small molecules can bind as is the case of the natural ligand thyroxine (T4). However, the TTR amyloidogenic variants present decreased stability, and in particular conditions, dissociate into partially misfolded monomers that aggregate and polymerize as amyloid fibrils. Therefore, therapeutic strategies for these amyloidoses may target different steps in the disease process such as decrease of variant TTR (TTRv) in plasma, stabilization of TTR, inhibition of TTR aggregation and polymerization or disruption of the preformed fibrils. While strategies aiming decrease of the mutated TTR involve mainly genetic approaches, either by liver transplant or the more recent technologies using specific oligonucleotides or silencing RNA, the other steps of the amyloidogenic cascade might be impaired by pharmacologic compounds, namely, TTR stabilizers, inhibitors of aggregation and amyloid disruptors. Modulation of different steps involved in the mechanism of ATTR amyloidosis and compounds proposed as pharmacologic agents to treat TTR amyloidosis will be reviewed and discussed.

Plasma stability theory including the resistive wall effects

Plasma stabilization due to a nearby conducting wall can provide access to better performance in some scenarios in tokamaks. This was proved by experiments with an essential gain in${\it\beta}$and demonstrated as a long-lasting effect at sufficiently fast plasma rotation in the DIII-D tokamak (see, for example, Straitet al.,Nucl. Fusion, vol. 43, 2003, pp. 430–440). The rotational stabilization is the central topic of this review, though eventually the mode rotation gains significance. The analysis is based on the first-principle equations describing the energy balance with dissipation in the resistive wall. The method emphasizes derivation of the dispersion relations for the modes which are faster than the conventional resistive wall modes, but slower than the ideal magnetohydrodynamics modes. Both the standard thin wall and ideal-wall approximations are not valid in this range. Here, these are replaced by an approach incorporating the skin effect in the wall. This new element in the stability theory makes the energy sink a nonlinear function of the complex growth rate. An important consequence is that a mode rotating above a critical level can provide a damping effect sufficient for instability suppression. Estimates are given and applications are discussed.